Metal cribbing



O. S. FLATH METAL CRIBBING Filed Sept. 18, 1944 May 22, 1945.

INVENTOR.

Patented May 22, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,376,677 3 METAL CRIBBING.

Otto S. Flatli, Chicago, Ill. Application September 18, 1944,'Serial No. 554,697

4 Claims.

.skill. The respective members are of such construction that they maybe easily handled and quickly assembled, thus especially adapting my improved members or units for use in the construction of walls for trenches and the like where time is of the essence.

The invention, more specifically stated, contemplates the provision of a pair of uniform units constituting, respectively, headers and stretch-' ers whose ends are so formed that they may be readily secured together into superposed courses capable of withstanding the accumulated compres sive loads to which the cribbing structure may be subjected; with the ends of the respective members arranged to be rigidly secured together without the need of special fastening elements and the elements of one course adapted to be secured to a pair of elements or units of two superposed courses; the headers and stretchers being so formed as to provide an uninterrupted or unbrokenouter face or wall and thus eliminating the use of separate filler elements, as, however, is the case with many forms of cribbing heretofore designed. v

The foregoing objects and advantages, as well as other advantages inherent in the invention, will all be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing wherein:

The figure is a perspective view of a portion of the cribbing as viewed from the interior; with only a portion or the contiguous ends of superposed headers and of superposed stretchers being shown.

In the particular exemplification of the invention, the cribbing is composed of two sets of units, with the units of each set made of uniform construction and one set constituting the headers 10 each formed of a single elongated rectangular metal sheet of predetermined length and width; with the main orbody portionpro vided with rigidifying surfaces in the form of one or more longitudinally extending corruga-' tions or laterally bowed portions I I, which terminate a short distance from the ends of the sheets as shown; while the longitudinal marginal portions above and below the rigidifying surfaces ll are'straight and disposed in the same vertical plane so that the longitudinal edges of the respective headers may be in continuous abutting relation to provide a complete closure between the headers. T l

The plane ends of theheaders are bent at right angles to the body portion, as shown at l2, with both ends preferably bent toward the same side of the sheet'and the bent ends preferably provided with uniformly spaced holes l3. It will be understood that both ends of the headers are of similar construction permitting the headers to be used end for end, so that the illustration and description of one end will suffice.

In the exemplification, the body portion of the header, for example the bowed portion ,H, is shown provided with a bolt-receiving hole l4 preferably arranged at the longitudinal median line. Where the retaining wall or cribbing is to be of some length, a second set of headers Ill may be arranged in back-to-back or flush parallel relation and the headers of the two sets bolted together and thus provide a rigid two-piece unit or header lilwith the bent ends l2 at the same end of the composite or two-piece header disposed in opposite directions. It will be understood that the holes M are adapted to receive suitable bolts whereby the back-to-back headers may be firmly clamped together when the nuts are screwed up tightly on the bolts.

The stretchers it, which may be of the same length as the headers It, or of any desired length, are also of sheet metal and given channel form with relatively wide rigidifying surfaces or longitudinal flanges It at their upper and lower edges. The stretchers in the dilferent courses preferably are arranged with their flanges I6 disposed inwardly, with the flanges of the stretchers in continuous flush relation thereby providing the outer face of the cribbing with an uninterrupted or imperforate surface, which also permits the bent ends I2 of the headers to extend in flush relation or contact with the outer sides of the stretchers as shown in the drawing. The stretchers adjacent their ends are provided with uniformly spaced bolt receiving holes adapted to register with the holes 13 in the flanged or bent ends I2 of the headers in order to receive the bolts l1; and the ends of the stretchers preferably are arranged in abutting relation with the sides of the headers.

In order to maintain the superposed relation of th stretchers, especially when the latter are of some length, I prefer to provide the flanges or sides It of the stretchers at uniform spaced intervals apart with bolt-holes l8 for receiving the small bolts I9. With the flanges or sides l6 extending throughout the length of the stretchers and the flanges or sides l6 of the superposed stretchers bolted together, a very rigid cribbing is provided adapted to withstand the lateral strains and pressures of the fill.

In the cribbing construction shown, the stretchers are arranged in staggered relation with respect to the courses of the headers In so that each stretcher I5 is in abutting relation with a pair of superposed headers and the ends of the stretchers secured to the respective headers by means of the bolts ll. As the bolt-holes in the bent ends l2 of the headers and those in the ends of the stretchers are all of uniform spacing it is apparent that this staggered arrangement may be made and the respective courses secured together against independent shifting movement; while other courses for longitudinally extending the cribbing may all be tied together by placing the additional headers in back-to-back relation with the headers shown so their flanges or ends l2 are disposed in a direction opposite to those shown and then bolting the back-to-back headers together by employing the bolt-holes l4. With this arrangement all courses of the cribbing will be firmly secured together and a continuous non-shifting rigid structure provided. It will be understood that the inner ends of the headers also are provided with similar stretchers thereby providing a cribbing with a plurality of rectangular pockets or chambers for receiving the flll, thereby securely anchoring the cribbing against outward or shifting movement.

With the headers and stretchers, each of uniform formation, and formed from plane rectangular sheets of metal, the cost of manufacture is materially less then the cost of cribbing as heretofore constructed, while at the same time members constituting stretchers with their longitudinal marginal portions at top and bottom bent laterally toward the same sides of the stretchers to provide stretchers of channel form arranged in superposed relation with the longitudinal portion of one stretcher resting on the longitudinal portion of the subjacent stretcher and the marginal portions all disposed inwardly and the stretcher ends arranged rearwardly of the bent ends of the headers and bolted thereto.

2. A cribbing composed of two sets of elongated rectangular metal sheets, one set consisting of sheets provided with longitudinally extending bowed portions extending toward the same side of the sheets and with laterally bent I ends disposed toward the same side of the sheet to constitute headers; while the other set consists of sheets bent into channel form with the channel sides disposed inwardly so as to provide the cribbing with a continuous uninterrupted outer face, the ends of the stretchers being arranged rearwardly of the laterally bent ends of assembly or construction of my improved cribbing may be more readily accomplished without need of special skill or tools as the two units, namely L headers and stretchers, are each of uniform construction throughout thus enabling end for end use of the units without need of matching the respective units as, however, is required in structures heretofore in -use.

My present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 460,-

What I claim is:

1. A cribbing composed of two sets of elongated rectangular metal sheets, each set consisting of uniform members, one set of members constituting headers provided with straight longitudinal marginal portions and arranged in superposed relation with the longitudinal edges of the sheets of one course resting on the longitudinal edges of the sheets in the subjacent course, the ends of said header members being bent laterally toward the same side of the header and provided with uniformly spaced bolt-holes; the other set of '023, which issued Sept. 19, 1944, Patent No.

the headers and the ends of the headers and stretchers provided with uniformly spaced boltholes; and bolts whereby'the headers and stretchers are removably secured together.

3. A cribbing composed of elongated rectangular metal sheets with their ends uniformly bent at right angles toward the same sides of the sheets and provided with uniformly spaced boltholes, said sheets having straight longitudinal edges and arranged in superposed edge-to-edge relation to constitute headers; and elongated straight sided channels arranged in superposed relation with the sides of the channels resting on each other and disposed inwardly and provided with bolt-holes, while the ends of the channels have uniformly spaced bolt-holes and ar- -ranged rearward of the bent ends of the headers and constitute stretchers, with the ends of each header arranged in overlapping relation with the ends of two superposed stretchers; bolts whereby the ends of the headers and stretchers are removably secured together, and bolts whereby the flanged edges of the superposed stretchars are removably secured together. a

4. A cribbing composed of a pair of rectangular sheet metal units, the metal sheets of one unit being provided intermediate the longitudinal edges and the ends with longitudinally disposed rigidifying surfaces while the ends are bent laterally, said rigidifying surfaces and bent ends being disposed toward the same side; while the metal sheets of the other unit are pressed into uniform channel form with the longitudinal flanges or sides extending from end to end; the bent ends of the first mentioned unit and the main body portions of the second mentioned unit being provided with uniformly spaced holes adapted to register with each other when the sheets of the respective units are arranged in edgewise superposed relation; and fastening bolts arranged in the registered holes to hold the units in header and stretchers providing relation.

o'r'ro s. FLATH. 

